CARPINTERIA, California (March 16, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 17, the school board of Carpinteria, California will meet to vote whether or not to rescind their own 2008 decision to remove all imagery that stereotypes Native American peoples from Carpinteria High School. The town of Carpinteria is staging the meeting in such a way as to intimidate the Native people choosing to participate. (photo of Eli Cordero by Paul Wellman)
Details: Carpinteria votes on reinstatement of racist mascot by AIM-West
I thought Fuel was very well-made, important, and informative--there's a lot to absorb. I don't agree with every point of view expressed in the film, but I realize the movie has to communicate to diverse people. . . . Still, the movie features a lot of provocative ideas like vertical farms (skyscraper-like farms that would exist in the middle of cities and other places where space is scarce), and there is some great historical information. For example, details of Rudolf Diesel's sudden and very suspicious death is discussed as well as the long and insidious history of Standard Oil (which was broken up 100 years ago but is now reunited as Exxon-Mobil). Also, a compelling case is made that Prohibition was really about stopping a car that Ford put out that ran on ethanol. As soon as Ford gave up on this car, Prohibition was lifted.
. . . I was glad to see depictions of monorails in the film (though they're never discussed). I think they could be a solution to some of our problems (at least until our population crisis is dealt with--if it is ever dealt with), as they have been in other countries for a century. . . .
Article: "Fuel" (review) by RP
In a crucial attempt to protect a densely populated Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles, environmental justice advocates and community residents filed an appeal in court on March 3, 2009, seeking to overturn a decision to build luxury homes on a fragile hillside in El Sereno. The development on Elephant Hill would endanger residents and strip the community of its last open space.
“The community of El Sereno needs parks and open spaces, not McMansions,” said Tim Grabiel, project attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Elephant Hill is a greedy project pushed forward by developers at the risk of jeopardizing the health and safety of residents and the environment.”
Story: Groups Appeal Elephant Hill Ruling by Hugo Garcia
Join the Los Angeles Independent Media Center, the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), and Cinebang! for a screening of Humble Beauty, an hour-long documentary that tells the stories of a group of talented homeless and formerly-homeless men and women who create art -- fine art painting -- in the worst area of LA, known as "skid row."
It’s also about the ubiquity of art in human life. People strive to make art, no matter how humble the circumstances.
KIWA will also display work by artists featured in the film. The exhibition will begin March 5 and continue until Tuesday, March 10th.
LA IMC Calendar: Humble Beauty Screening and Art Show
South Central Farmers Continue to Target Forever 21 February 2, 2009: Another demonstration took place outside the Forever 21 in Old Town Pasadena. The turnout was even higher than the previous action of December 13, 2008. One demonstrator reported giving a leaflet to someone entering the store. This person looked at the flier, turned around, and exited. Many other passersby showed interest. Participants were asked to contact other Forever 21 outlets (see the list following this article) to remind them of the boycott.
Story and photos: Actions Against Forever 21 Continue by RP
SAN DIEGO, February 13, 2009 - The situation for medical marijuana users is loosening up just about everywhere in the country — or at least in the 13 states that have laws allowing it — except in San Diego County and elsewhere in southern California. That was the message Don Duncan, California director of the nationwide organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA), brought to the local ASA chapter in San Diego February 10. For years medical marijuana users have been bedeviled by federal raids ever since the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in 2001 and 2005 that state medical pot laws didn’t protect patients, caregivers and growers from federal anti-drug law enforcement — but, said Duncan, the Obama administration has sent signals that these raids may soon end. Full Story: S.D. Cracks Down on Medical Pot as Feds Loosen Up by Mark Gabrish Conlan
UPDATE: Crack Down Continues - Medical Marijuana Caregiver Convicted of Drug Dealing by Mark Gabrish Conlan
CARPINTERIA, California - The small town of Carpinteria, California is the latest battleground in Native Americans’ fight against racism. The controversy over a supposedly “harmless” high school sports mascot has alienated the Native American population of Carpinteria, who have come to fear violent reprisals from the non-Native community.
The Carpinteria “Warriors” mascot is the standard Indian chief stereotype, complete with generic plains-style war bonnet and stoic gaze. The school logo consists of a spear with dangling feathers; a visual symbol also associated with plains Indian cultures. Last spring, 15 year old Chumash youth Eli Cordero voiced his objections to the use of this stereotypical imagery by Carpinteria High School. On April 22nd, 2008, he brought his concerns before the school board which then voted to retire the use of all Native American imagery. . . . Since that time, the 15 year old has received death threats and his family has been harassed. Some citizens of Carpinteria shouted racial epithets at John Orendorff, a Native American Army Reserve colonel who spoke at a school board meeting in favor of removing the racist imagery. . . .
Complete update: Racism and Intimidation in Carpinteria by AIM-West | | Video
Latest News: Carpinteria votes on reinstatement of racist mascot
RIVERSIDE, January 29, 2009 - The Brown Berets of Aztlán led a march from the César Chávez Community Center at the Bobby Bonds Park to the Riverside Sheriff's Department, where they held a candlelight vigil and demonstration. They convoked the assembly to build momentum for the movement for justice for Annette García, a Perris resident, Brown Beret member, and mother of six, who was shot in the back on January 23 by a Riverside sheriff's deputy. Another demonstration is called for this Saturday 10 am at Bobby Burns Park in Riverside. Full Report: Justice for Annette García: Community responds to police murder of activist mother by Rockero
UPDATE: New video: Brown Beret Demonstration in "Rivercide" by Mateo Owen
LOS ANGELES, January 21, 2009 - Last Sunday saw a group of Los Angeles families and friends gather to protest at MacArthur park. The demonstrations were organized by The Coalition For Justice Against Police Murder. The rally formed into a march on the Rampart police station where speeches, testimonials and grass roots organizing techniques were given from the steps without police interference. The crowd was small, orderly and diverse. The police presence for the entire protest was absent which gave it a spontaneous and genuine feel. At the events closing the group petitioned the station supervisor by entering the facility and gently but affirmatively demanding investigative action on various deaths that allegedly were caused by LAPD misconduct. From the Newswire: Families of Police Murder Victims March to Rampart by Robert Stuart Lowden
Related Story: Oscar Grant! No Isolated Incident! A Photo Journey of Unarmed Folks Killed by Cops Worldwide by T. Love
ANTI WAR PEACE ADVOCATES MARCH AT MLK DAY in LA Marching at the largest Martin Luther King Jr Day-the 24th year commemoration last January 19, 2009 from Western to Leimert Park, hundreds of peace activist and anti-war advocates marched with thousands of people chanting: “ MONEY FOR JOBS AND EDUCATION. NOT FOR WAR AND OCCUPATION!” The more than 200 protestors marched under the lead banner of the Topanga Peace Alliance and Veterans for Peace and led by the Cuahtemoc Azteca Dancers banging their drums. They marched together with more than 400 different delegations, floats and marching bands representing all shades and political color all over Southern California marched past the mains stage located at Crenshaw Blvd.
From the newswire: ANTI WAR PEACE ADVOCATES MARCH AT MLK DAY in LA by Echo Park Communtiy Coalition
| | Peace Activists At the MLK Jr. parade by Cliff Olin | New: Video by Cliff Olin
Monday, January 19, 2009 - As the final hours of the Bush-Cheney regime draw nearer millions around the world are breathing a collective sign of relief that they survived the Bush-Cheney era. The one word Obama campaign slogan: Hope, is still the operative word in the minds of the public. The crowds at the 2009 inauguration are expected to break all records with perhaps over 3 million people lining the parade route. Not in recent history as a president entered the office with expectations so high.
Corporate media has transformed the event from an inauguration into a coronation.
The pre-inaugural hype now resembles that of the Rose Parade or a Super Bowl game. The voices of alternative viewpoints lost in the spectacle of the parade and tournament. With the news that KPFK, a major local outlet of alternative news, has been denied access to broadcast facilities at the inauguration non-corporate representation of the event will be very limited.
Fortunately Indymedia activists are gearing up to cover counter-inaugural events.
The DC-Indymedia web site has a redesigned homepage for special coverage. There are reporters from Urbana-Champaign IMC in DC now and filing reports. Also there is a live webcast at Radio Portland IMC. Locally here in Los Angeles there is a counter-inaugural event downtown planned for Tuesday.
Latest from the newswire: Commentary - Some Thoughts on Obama and the US Empire by Chris Burnett
This year's AntiMall was held at East LA's Chavez Studio. As organizer Laura Palomares explained on Uprising last year (full interview here), the concept was inspired by her experiences with Zapatistas and the notion of an alternative, parallel economy. The AntiMall brings together many co-ops. “So the idea of El Puente is providing a space where you know you're buying something directly from the artisan, and that group of people are working on making things better for their community,” she explained to Uprising's Sonali Kolhatkar. “So they--for example, the Zapatistas--are not waiting for the government to come in and fix what's going on in their community. They're going to make a demand, but at the same time they're working on creating their own autonomous communities. So the purpose of El Puente is to support those communities in their struggles and not support things like Walmart and Target in our neighborhoods but really invest back into social change .”
Story and photos:
2008 AntiMall (part 1) and
2008 AntiMall (part 2) by RP
LOS ANGELES, December 20, 2008 - In the wake of another fatal police shooting community members living under the gun of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lennox Division are calling for the formation of a new Citizen Police Control Board. Citing the failure of the appointed Office of Independent Review they are calling for all-Elected, all-Civilian, Sheriffs/Police Control Board.
The call comes in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Christian Portillo who witnesses say was killed by L.A. County Sheriffs while he sat unarmed in his parked car in the driveway of his home. A demonstration was held this Saturday at the Lennox Sheriffs Station. Christian’s mother, Mrs. Elida Portillo, spoke at the rally. This December 20th would have been Christian’s 35th birthday. From the newswire: Justice For Christian Portillo! Stop Killer Cops! March On Lennox Sheriffs by jubilee shine
Saturday, December 13, 2008 LOS ANGELES - The organizers of the first annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair sent out a call for "dreamers, fighters, organizers, and rebels to come, meet, strategize, learn from each other, get books, attend workshops, participate, and join the movement." And despite the state's efforts to squelch our efforts, come they did--more than 700 people, mostly from the greater Los Angeles area, although some came from as far as San Diego, the Bay Area, Oregon, New York, and even Canada, to participate in this herstory-making event.
Story with photos: First Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair: A Beginning Marker of Resistance by Rockero
| | PHOTOS: Photos from the Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair by Spicy Organic Tofu
| | VIDEOS: Videos from the Anarchist Bookfair by Spicy Organic Tofu
PASADENA, Dec. 13, 2008 - Despite the threat of rain and many other competing activist events this Saturday there was a very good turnout at the demonstration in front of Forever 21 in Old Town Pasadena.
Forever 21 intends to build warehouse space on the land of the South Central Farm, which developer Ralph Horowitz acquired by dubious means. (More details here.)
Story/photos: "BOYCOTT FOREVER 21! BOYCOTT FOREVER 21!" by RP
The 1st Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair - Saturday, December 13th, 2008
Zines, pamphlets, DVD, Cd's, radical bumper stickers, protest shirts, records, tapes, speakers, workshops, panels, open discussions, games, diy distros and much more...
Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair
Saturday, December the 13th, 2008
Southern California Library for Social Studies & Research
6120 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, Ca.
90044
$5 includes vegan lunch and dinner, provided by Los Angeles and Santa Ana Food Not Bombs
From the newswire:
First Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair by Joaquin Cienfuegos
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LA IMC CALENDAR
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AUDIO: Anarchist Bookfair By KPFK's Indy Media On the Air
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